Music holder



Dec. 8, 1959 1.. B. JOHNSTON MUSIC HOLDER Filed Aug. 14, 1957 U m u D n D n n n u u n. U n. 2

DCICIQ United States Patent MUSIC HOLDER Lawrence B. Johnston, Evansville, Ind.

Application August '14, 1957, Serial No. 678,077

9 Claims. (Cl. 45121) My present invention relates to a device for holding scores or sheets of music and more particularly to a device for holding a plurality of single sheets of music for a band instrument.

As explained in my patent, 2,514,068, entitled Music Holder dated July 4, 1950, members of a band on parade generally carry instruments with the music score attached thereto by means of a clamping device such as a lyre, in which may be held a sheet or a plurality of sheets of music. As further explained in my patent, inconvenience, delays and interruptions were theretofore unavoidable because of the necessity of one hand being needed to unclamp and shift or turn the sheets of music while at the same time, the instrument needed to be supported. In that patent, I described and claimed a music holder comprising a supporting member which may be suitably attached to a clamping device which in turn may be afiixed to a musical instrument and which the sheets of music were inserted in a series of transparent envelopes hingedly connected at the top to the supporting member.

I have found it desirable to further improve the music holder of the type disclosed and claimed in my patent by providing the common supporting member with a means whereby the member can be held rigidly in a clamping lyre of any type or size.

Accordingly, a general object of my present invention is an improvement over all prior art music holders of the type particularly adaptable for band instruments and the like.

A more specific object of my invention is the provision of a means in a supporting member of a music holder whereby the supporting member may be interchangeably clamped and rigidly held by a variety of sizes and shapes of lyres.

.I propose to accomplish my present invention by the provision of projecting means or tabs on the face of the supporting member of my music holder which cooperate with the prongs of the clamping jaws of a lyre to prevent tilting of the supporting member from side to side and also prevent it from slipping out of the top of the lyre. I further provide a projecting means or tabs which cooperate with the spring of a clamping lyre to prevent the supporting member from tilting away from one of the jaws of the lyre when the lyre is open for any reason.

Accordingly, still another and more specific object of my invention is the provision of tabs or projecting means on the face of the supporting member of a music holder so constructed and arranged to cooperate with the lyre to prevent the supporting member from tilting or slipping out the lyre.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of j a projecting means which cooperates with the spring to keep the supporting member parallel with the backing member of the lyre.

Another feature of my invention which contributes to its success as a commercially acceptable music holder, is the provision of reinforcing means on the hereinabove mentioned transparentsheet music holding envelopes.

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Thus, still another object of my invention is the provision of reinforcing means on the plastic transparent sheet for holding music especially constructed and arranged to cooperate with my improved music holder.

Other objects and goals of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and drawings forming a part hereof and where- Fig. 1 is. a perspective view of the improved music holder of my invention employed with a band instrument (shown fragmentarily) showing to advantage one type of binding hinge means used to hold the sheet music to the supporting member of my music holder;

Fig. 2 is another perspective view of my music holder showing to advantage another type of binding means which may be used to hold the sheet music to the supporting member;

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing to advantage the projecting means or tabs as they cooperate with one illustrated size and form of lyre to prevent tilting and slipping out of the lyre;

Fig. 4 shows the lyre on the side opposite from that shown in Fig. 3, as it cooperates with the supporting member;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of my music holder showing the envelopes separated slightly for the purposes of illustration and showing the reinforcing means thereon; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of another form of an envelope illustrating to advantage the reinforcing means thereon.

Turning now to the drawings where there is illustrated my invention, indicated in its entirety with a numeral 10, comprising a fiat rigid back board or supporting member 12 which in its preferred form is rectangular and has a plurality of small slots 13 at its upper margin having their longitudinal axes lying substantially on a common line parallel with the top edge of the supporting member. In each of these slots there is a ring 14 (see Fig. 1) which may be joined with other rings by a common longitudinal strip (not shown), or, if desired, slots 15 may be so constructed and arranged as illustrated in Fig. 3 to cooperate with a pair of rings 16 (see Fig. 2), either of which rings providing a hinge for a purpose hereinafter to be described. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, slots 15 form a part of the slots 13 for convenience of construction and for interchangeability purposes.

A series of individual flexible transparent envelopes, such as 17, are carried by the supporting member 12 by the rings 14 or 16 which pass through a series of slots 18 in the envelopes as shown in Fig. 1 or 20 in the envelopes shown in Fig. 2 through which the rings 14 or 16 pass loosely near the upper edge of each envelope, slots 18 and 20 being spaced to cooperate with slots '13 or 15 in the supporting member. Each envelope is open at both ends, one end being shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as at 21 and has recessed portions 22 and 23 at each end to permit the thumb and forefinger to grasp a sheet of music, such as sheet 24, for easy insertion and retraction. The envelopes are closed at their lower edge as indicated at 25 in Fig. 5 by a fold in the transparent material, and at the upper edges as at 26 and 27, the envelope is open so that the side walls may be split apart to accommodate varying numbers of sheet music. For strengthening purposes, each envelope has an additional strip or strips of relatively thin transparent material such as 28 to reinforce the envelope and to prevent wear and tear near the edges where the rings 14 or 16 operate as hinges as can be understood.

In the preferred form of this invention, each envelope is of slightly less width than the supporting member 12 and shorter so that the edges of member, 12 will extend .open the lyre when desired.

laterally beyond the edges of the envelopes to provide protection for the sheets of music therein. Such exten- Sion is shown at in Figs. 1 and 2, and, the width and length of the envelopes may be varied if desired, to provide for easier engagement and turning of each envelope about its hinged connection.

The supporting member 12 is adapted to be gripped along its lower edge by a clamping device such as a lyre, indicated in its entirety as 31.. in the illustrated lyre 31, the lyre has three prongs 32, 33 and 34- lying in a common plane and connected at their top by an irregularly shaped cross-bar 35 to form a jaw-like means. The other side of the clamp or jaw of the lyre comprises a pair of irregularly curved prong-like members 3-6 and 37 (Fig. 4), connected at their lower ends by a U-shaped bar 38. The U-shaped bar 38 is suitably apertured to receive a pin 4th about which the two clamping jaws of the lyre rotate. The two jaws are spring actuated by a helical type spring 41 of the conventional type wound about pin 43 and having integral ends 42, d3 urging the jaws together against which the thumb tab reacts to The lyre is suitably afiixed to a post 45 which seats in a socket means secured to the top of a band instrument 47. Suitable set screws or the like may be used to cooperate with the socket 46 to rigidly fix the post 45, as desired.

It is to be noted that my supporting means 12 is provided with a pair of irregularly shaped projecting means or tabs 46, 47, forming thickened surfaces on the face of the supporting means, large at their bottom edges, and which in the embodiment shown, coincide with the bottom edge of the supporting member 12. Projecting means 46, 47 each has curved sides and St? terminating in narrow end portions or edges 51, 52 and are so constructed and arranged to be of a size to fit loosely yet react in a restricted manner within the apertures 53, 54 formed by the arms 32, 33 and 3d of the lyre. As is evident, the tabs 46 and :7, being similar in shape to the apertures 53, cooperate to prevent the supporting member from slipping outward or tilting to the right or to the left of the jaws. There is also provided another pair of relatively thin, relatively long projecting means or tabs 56 and 57, also forming an additional thickness to the supporting member, so constructed and arranged to cooperate with lyres of larger sizes and to function in a manner similar to the projections 46 and 47. in this embodiment the lower ends of the projecting means 56, 57 are disposed on a line which would be the continuation of the upper ends of projecting means 4e, 47 and the top ends are displaced outwardly toward the left and right hand corner of member 12.

As can be seen in Fig. 4, the ltacl: side of the lyre is provided with similar projections 46a, 47a, 56a and 57a to make the supporting member 12 useable from either side interchangeably with lyres of all sizes and shapes.

To further prevent the supporting member '12 from slipping out of the lyre when the jaws are separated by operation of the thumb tab 44 against the spring means 41, I have further provided a projecting means 58 (in this embodiment a pair of extensions or tabs) so constructed and arranged to be wedged between one of the jaws of the lyre and the spring means 41 as shown in Fig. 5 so that when the jaws are separated, the projections 58 will retain the supporting member 12 against the back of the lyre. In this manner, the supporting member will not tilt, for example, to the left in Fig. 5, when the jaws of the lyre are open.

Thus, it can be seen that when sheet music is placed within the envelopes, the supporting member 12 may be clamped with either side facing the musician, and the jaws of the lyre may be opened and closed without the fear of music slipping out or turning side-ways in the lyre by the cooperation of the projecting means or tabs 46, 47 and 58 when a lyre of the size and shape illustrated is used, or by the cooperation of the tabs 56 and 4 57 and the tabs 58 when lyres of other shapes or sizes are used.

Still another embodiment of the envelopes for holding the sheets of music is shown in Fig. 6 and indicated in its entirety as 17a and comprises an open ended upper portion having a pair of reinforcing strips 60 with an additional flap 61 which fits over the reinforcing strip and closes the envelope at both ends. The cooperation of the reinforcing strips and the flap 61 serve to prevent the envelope from turning out of the rings as is evident. This latter feature of the reinforcing strips on the envelopes 17 are but many of the inter-relating features which contribute to the satisfactory performance of my present improved music holder.

As explained in my patent, in preparing my invention for use, a player will first place all of the envelopes on one side of the supporting member 12 and insert, in either or both types of envelopes 17 and/or 17a, sheets of music which will be employed one after another when the band is playing. On the reverse side of each envelope there will also be positioned a sheet of music placed in sequence so that when all the music on one side of the envelopes has been played, the envelopes may be turned over to the other side of the supporting member 12 by their hinged connections, the next sequence of music will be lined up on the other side of the envelopes. To employ such other sides, the player will only be required to turn the holder around such as by opening the clamps and reinserting the supporting member 12 in the jaws of the lyre whereupon the new sheets of music will be available in their proper sequence. The importance of the projecting means 46, 4:7 or 56, 57 and 58 or 46a, 47a or 56a, 57a and 53 will be realized during such a moment.

While my device has been described with reference to a particular direction, it will be understood that this is merely to facilitate the description and is not to be considered a limitation.

Furthermore, while my invention has also been described in connection with one embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and the scope of my invention is defined solely by the appended claims which should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.

1 claim:

1. A 1. usic holder comprising a fiat rigid substantially 'ectangular supporting member adapted to be gripped at one edge by a spring clamping mechanism carried by a band instrument, and means in the form of raised projections the surface of said supporting member to cooperate with said spring clamping mechanism to prevent the supporting member from tilting or slipping out of said spring clamping mechanism,

2. A music holder comprising a flat rigid substantially rectangular supporting member adapted to be gripped at one edge by a spring clamping mechanism carried by a band instrument, and first means projecting from the surface and second means projecting from the one edge of said supporting member to cooperate with said spring clamping mechanism to prevent the supporting member from tilting or slipping out of said spring clamping mechanrsm.

3. A music holder comprising a substantially rectangular supporting member having a pair of relatively flat surfaces to support sheet music and adapted to be gripped at one edge by a clamping mechanism having a spring and carried by a band instrument when closed and to be released when said clamping mechanism is open, and first means projecting from at least one surface and further means projecting from said one edge of said supporting member to cooperate with said clamping mechanism and the spring thereof to prevent the supporting member from tilting or slipping out from the clamping mechanism.

4. The music holder claimed in claim 3 wherein said music holder has a series of transparent envelopes open at their top edges and connected at their top edges with the top edge of said supporting member whereby individual envelopes may be swung from one side of said member to the other.

5. The music holder claimed in claim 3 wherein said first and further projecting means are integral with said supporting member.

6. A music holder comprising a flat substantially rectangular supporting member adapted to be gripped at one edge by a lyre when closed and having a spring and carried by a band instrument, a first means projecting from said one edge and a second means in the form of projections rising from one surface of said supporting member adjacent said edge, said first means to cooperate with said spring and said second means to cooperate with irregularly shaped apertures in said lyre formed by three prongs on said lyre connected at the top on one side to form irregularly shaped apertures, to prevent the supporting member tilting or slipping out of said lyre when said lyre is open.

7. The music holder claimed in claim 6 wherein said 20 music holder has a series of transparent envelopes open at their top and connected at their top edges with the top edge of said supporting member whereby individual envelopes may be swung from one side of said member to the other.

8. The music holder claimed in claim 6 wherein said first and second projecting means are integral with said supporting member.

9. A music holder comprising a flat rigid substantially rectangular supporting member adapted to be gripped at one edge by a spring clamping mechanism carried by a band instrument, means on said supporting member in the form of spaced integral projections which protrude from said member to cooperate with said spring clamping mechanism to prevent tilting or slipping out, and a series of transparent envelopes connected at their respective top edges with the top edge of the supporting member, whereby the individual envelopes may be swung from one side of said member to the other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 791,463 Gordon June 6, 1905 984,055 White Feb. 14, 1911 1,807,467 Bonander May 26, 1931 2,514,068 Johnston July 4, 1950 

